


The You Now

by Little_Comett



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Aged-Up Frisk (Undertale), And also reader has the best brother ever, Angst, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Bara Sans (Undertale), Big Brother Papyrus (Undertale), Burgerpants is actually important, But only where needed, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Female Frisk (Undertale), Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Frisk is not mute, Honestly a lot of fluff, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), No More Resets (Undertale), Papyrus is the best brother, Past Child Abuse, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Protective Sans (Undertale), Racism, Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Stalking, Undertale Monsters on the Surface, Younger Brother Sans (Undertale), but not a lot, mainly fluff, monster racism, sans is tol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-09-20 14:53:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17024733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Comett/pseuds/Little_Comett
Summary: "Tell me the story of The You Now..." Said the child tiredly.I found myself swallowing hard, my cheeks flushing as I found two bright, pinprick eyes focused on me.  I fidgeted, giving Luke an anxious smile."Haven't you heard that story enough times?" I questioned.Luke mumbled a quiet, "no", under his breath.  I bit my lip, straightening in my seat at the edge of his bed.  I glaced at the skeleton standing in the doorway.  He looked non-chalant, but I knew he was curious about my story just based on the flickering of his eyes."Alright..." I murmured, tugging at my sleeve.  I let my gaze wander toward the ceiling, letting out a soft sigh."There once was a small, lonely skeleton. . . . ."////Undertale does not belong to me, nor do it's  characters!





	1. When Introduced

I tapped my fingers gently, standing outside the school, headphones dangling from my ears. I shuffled my feet in the snow beneath me, kicking into a small pile in front of me. I sighed, clenching and unclenching my fists in the pocket of my coat, trying to focus on the music blasting through my earbuds, and not on the freezing cold surrounding me.

I really shouldn't have come so early. That, or I could've just asked Ledger if I could borrow his car instead of walking all the way here.

The sound of the loud bell was like music to my ears. I grinned, tugging the earbuds from my ears and stuffing them in my pocket. I watched kids pour from the elementary school doors, keeping an eye out for the kid I was waiting for. Once I caught sight of the unmistakable ruffle of curly brown hair, I immediately began waving my arms to catch his attention.

"Lucas! Hey, pipsqueak!" I called with a wide grin.

Luke's eyes instantly widened once he caught sight of me. He came bounding over, his arms stretched out wide. He wrapped them around my waist, and I laughed, wrapping my arms around him and holding him to me in a tight hug.

"Daddy said you wouldn't be here for another week, Auntie!" Luke mumbled into my coat.

I laughed, releasing him. He didn't let go, still clinging onto me.

"I wasn't supposed to be here for another week, but I decided to come visit a little earlier so that I can stay longer," I explained, ruffling his already messy hair.

Luke finally let go, taking a step away from me. He stared up at me, his eyes shining with happiness. I grinned, crossing my arms, before realizing he wasn't wearing a scarf or any gloves.

"Kid, didn't your dad tell you to wear warm clothes this morning?" I raised a brow.

Lucas immediately averted his gaze. The eight-year-old fidgeted, kicking at the snow awkwardly. He mumbled something under his breath, which I hadn't quite caught. I flicked him on the side of the head.

"Well, I let this girl borrow them..." He mumbled, "she forgot hers at home so I let her take 'em. She said she'd bring them back tomorrow."

I immediately let a sly smirk spread across my lips. I kneeled in front of him.

"A g _irl,_ huh?"

"Shush!"

Luke slapped a hand over my mouth, his face bright red. I immediately burst into laughter, shaking my head. I tugged off my scarf and gloves, handing them to the kid.

"Maybe if you're gonna let a girl borrow your clothes, you should bring an extra pair, huh?" I winked at him, helping him slide on the gloves and put on the scarf.

Luke mumbled something stubbornly under his breath, hiding his red face behind the scarf. I snickered at his embarrassment, nudging him forward.

"Come on, kid. How about some food before we go to your place?" I smiled.

"Yes! Let's go to Grillby's!" He beamed. "Dad takes me there all the time!"

"Grillby's huh? Where's that at?"

"I'll show you!"

Luke grabbed onto my hand, immediately beginning to pull me in the direction of wherever we were going. I laughed, trudging along behind him, stuffing my other hand into the pocket of my coat. I followed Luke to whatever restaurant he'd mentioned, considering that I had no clue where to go.

Frankly, I was surprised when I found myself standing outside of an obviously monster-owned restaurant. I blinked, staring up at the blinking orange sign that read, 'Grillby's'. I hurried inside with my nephew, sighing as I was struck with warmth. I let my gaze wander the restarant. Humans and monsters alike sat around, either seperated in their own families, or playing a game of cards with some dog monsters. There was even a group of teenagers sitting in a booth clearly working on homework.

"Welcome to Grillby's... You can sit anywhere you'd like. I can take your orders whenever you're ready, just wave me over."

I looked in the direction of where the voice had come. My eyes widened as I came face-to-face with a fire elemental monster. I sputtered out an awkward 'thanks'. Sure, I'd seen all kinds of monsters since they'd come to the surface, but I'd never seen one completely made of fire.

Luke dragged me toward a corner booth, immediately sliding toward the window to gaze outside into the snowy streets. He grinned widely.

"Tomorrow afterschool we should build a snowman!" He said excitedly.

I smiled, looking outside.

"Alright, fine, but this time you're gonna have your own gloves and scarf," I snickered.

Lucas groaned at my teasing, rolling his eyes. He didn't respond, staring outside. I decided to look at the menu while he was distracted. He'd clearly been here enough times to know what he wanted. The menu pretty much consisted of only two items, a burger and a hotdog, aside from the various appetizers. I decided on the burger.

"You know what you want, Luke?" I looked at the eight-year-old.

He averted his gaze from the window. He smiled, nodding. I waved my hand at the fire-man, who quickly finished wiping down an empty table, before he came strolling over to our table. I smiled at him, no longer surprised by his appearance... mostly.

"What can I get you two?"

The man pulled out a notepad, and I waited for a moment in anticipation, half expecting it to burst into flames. It never did. I hummed a bit in thought, before I was ripped from my thoughts as my nephew ordered himself a hotdog and fries. I blinked, before ordering a hamburger. The waiter wrote down the order, before strolling off.

"This place has the best hotdogs and burgers!" Lucas said rather loudly.

I laughed a bit.

"Oh yeah?"

Frankly, I had no doubt. Ever since monsters had come to the surface, I found that anytime they opened up a new restaurant or bakery, they always had some of the best food.

"Yeah! Dad takes me here sometimes whenever he had a good day or if I got a good grade in my class!" Luke beamed with pride.

I snickered, waving my hand in a downward motion to hint at him lowering his voice. The monster couple that was sitting a few tables down was giving us rather annoyed looks at all my nephew's almost-yelling. I smiled, leaning my elbow on the table.

"How's school going for you anyway, kid? Better than last year?"

Lucas grinned, nodding. "Yeah! Third grade is way better than second grade! Second grade is for babies!" He stuck out his tongue stubbornly.

I snickered in amusement, listening to him babble on about second grade. I thanked the waiter as he came back with our food. He set a bottle of ketchup on the table, but not before checking the lid to make sure it was screwed on tight. I raised a brow at the odd action, but didn't say anything.

Lucas and I instantly dug into our food, which was without a doubt one of the best burgers I'd ever had. It didn't take long for the two of us to finish our food, satisfied with the meal. Lucas rubbed his stomach with a tired smile.

"Soooo good..." He snickered.

I giggled, nodding. I stood up, ruffling his here.

"Wait here, kid. I gotta go pay."

I walked to the counter, where the waiter was wiping off the counter. I smiled at him, waving a bit, holding my wallet.

"Hey, I'm ready to pay."

The man nodded. He smiled, which was very faint beneath all the bright flames. He rung us up on the register. As I waited, I let my gaze wander. There were a few pictures on the wall behind him, with different monsters of all kinds. I even caught sight of an image of the flame monster standing beside King Dreemurr.

Once the food was paid for, I thanked him, going back to the table where I'd expected Lucas to be waiting... by himself. To my surprise, he was babbling on about something with a very tall skeleton monster. I stopped dead, raising a brow at the exchange.

"-and that's my Auntie ____! She's visiting for a few weeks for Christmas!" He grinned, pointing to me.

The skeleton turned toward me. He seemed to grin, which made me damn near do a double-take. How was a skeleton so animated.

"HELLO, SMALL HUMAN'S AUNT!"

I was taken aback, stunned at the loudness of his voice. I laughed awkwardly, holding out my hand, which frantically shook.

"I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, BUT I WILL ALLOW YOU TO CALL ME PAPYRUS FOR SHORT!"

I laughed as he continued shaking my hand. Well... more like my whole arm.

"Hi, Papyrus," I giggled.

The skeleton released my hand, standing up from where he was previously sitting at our table. He put his hands on his hips, grinning widely. Pinprick eyes shone brightly in his thin eyesockets.

"NOW, I MUST APOLOGIZE, BUT I HAVE TO RETRIEVE FOOD FOR MY LAZY BROTHER! IT WAS A PLEASURE TO MEET TWO HUMANS AS FINE AS YOU!"

I giggled, nodding. I watched the skeleton bound off toward the fire monster, who greeted him like he'd known him for a long time. I raised a brow at Lucas, who only shrugged in response.

"You're a dork..."

I grabbed his hand lightly, tugging him out of the booth and helping him with his coat, gloves, and scarf. I put on my own coat afterward, before we waved goodbye to the skeleton and the fire-man, and leaving the warmth of the building. I smiled, trudging through the snow toward Ledger and Luke's place. He dashed up ahead, but made sure to stay close enough so I could see him.

We arrived to his house in a short amount of time. I kicked the snow off my boots, smiling as the two of us stepped into the cute little house, thankfully greeted by a puff of warmth as we stepped inside.

 


	2. When In Defense

I shrugged off my coat, helping Lucas out of his winter clothes. I hung it all on the coat rack, sighing at the smell of what was clearly Ledger making ramen noodles.

"Daddy, we're home!" Lucas called, taking off to find his dad.

I smiled, following at a slower pace behind him. Sure enough, I found my brother in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and sipping on ramen noodles. He nearly choked as Lucas jumped onto him, hugging his stomach tightly. I let out a snort, crossing my arms.

"Hey, bro," I greeted Ledger.

He snorted, rolling his eyes. He grabbed Lucas, setting him up on his shoulders. He looked up at his son.

"Hey, kiddo, how was school?" He chuckled.

Luke grinned.

"You didn't tell me Auntie ____ was coming early!"

My older brother laughed. He continued sipping on his ramen, looking at me with a smirk tugging at his mouth.

"That'd ruin the surprise if I told you!" He stated with a mouthful of noodles.

Luke and I both groaned in disgust, while Ledger just laughed.

"Besides," continued Ledger after swallowing, "she's the only Christmas present you're getting this year!" He teased.

"WHAT!? No way!"

Ledger and I laughed as Luke freaked out. I grinned, raising a brow at Lucas, feigning fake hurt.

"Am I not a good enough Christmas present?" I teased.

"W-Well, I mean, you ARE! But I really wanted that new remote control helicopter! I mean, come on, it has TWO blades that make it fly!" Luke whined, tugging at Ledger's hair.

I snickered, shrugging.

"Well, maybe next year, bud. Didn't your dad tell you he bought himself a Christmas present this year?"

"Daaaaadddd!" Luke whined.

Ledger shrugged, chuckling to himself as he slurped on the ramen. I leaned against the wall, looking toward the stairs as Miley wandered downstairs. I smiled at my sister-in-law.

"Hey, Miles."

Miley smiled, waving her hand tiredly. She tugged her hair back into a messy ponytail, and I found myself envious of how beautiful she was, despite having clearly just woken up from a nap. I looked like a trainwreck after waking up, no matter what time of the day it was.

"What's up with all the yelling?" She questioned, looking pointedly at her son and husband.

Ledger shrugged, smirking.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Miley and I both rolled our eyes. She gave me a hug, smiling.

"How's it going, ____?" She asked.

I felt my smile fading a bit. I hugged back, letting out an awkward laugh. I cast an awkward glance toward my brother. His smile had also faded. He set his bowl on the counter, grabbing Luke and setting him down on the floor.

"Hey, speaking of, I gotta talk to you, _____." He stated.

Miley pulled away, raising a brow and giving me a suspicious look. I rubbed my arm nervously, biting my lip.

"Yeah..." I mumbled, not really explaining to Miley, but I could tell she already had a feeling of what it was.

Ledger walked to me, lightly grabbing my arm. He tugged me out of the room. We stepped outside, Ledger making sure to shut the door behind him. He turned to me, and I instantly prepared myself for the yelling.

"You don't have any money, again?!" He hissed.

I kicked at the snow beneath my feet, staring down at my shoes. I bit my lip.

"Ledger, come on-"

"No, _____! No more excuses! Come on, sis, I thought you said you had it together? Do Mom and Dad even know?"

I sighed.

"No, they don't... But, it isn't anyone else's problem but mine! Listen, Ledg, the rent just went up and I didn't have a steady enough income to keep up with it!" I defended.

Ledger stared me down, crossing his arms. He was frowning. I could see the disappointment in his eyes.

"Ledger, I just... I need to stay here for the two weeks that we planned, then I'll start looking for a cheaper place-"

"No, _____, you need to move out here... Come on, if you moved out here then you could get a better job. Not only that, but places are cheaper out here and if you needed help paying for things then Miles and I could help out."

I swallowed hard. I shook my head frantically.

"No way, Ledg! I'm not gonna just depend on you and Miley for money. Come on, I'm-"

"-20 years old now, yeah, I get it. But come on, _____, don't be stubborn. Besides, we wouldn't be helping you out forever. Only for a little while until you get back on your feet."

I bit my lip, dragging it anxiously between my teeth. This was a conversation I'd known was coming ever since I'd blurted out my financial problems two weeks ago and asked him if I could stay for a week extra.

"I'll keep an eye out for a job... But I'm not committing to it yet," I mumbled under my breath, staring down at my feet.

Ledger let out a relieved sigh. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders, tugging me into a tight hug. He held me against his chest for a few minutes, letting silence hang between us for a while.

"You're the worst, bird..." He mumbled using the nickname I'd been known as for as long as I could remember.

I sighed, nodding.

"I know... I'm sorry, Ledg..." I said quietly, letting my guilt show.

"It isn't your fault," he pulled away, slapping me on the back, smiling, "we'll get it figured out."

I huffed, rolling my eyes from the force of the impact. I rubbed at the sore spot with a pout.

"Hey, don't tell Mom and Dad, got it?"

Ledger snickered, speeding back into the house, waving over his shoulder.

"Totally gonna tell Mom and Dad!" He stated.

I groaned, rushing back into the house behind him, yelling threats that'd never actually happen. Well... most of them wouldn't happen.

　

The next morning was... difficult, to say the least. I had a hard time dragging myself out of bed after waking up to the alarm that was set as a reminder for me to get off my ass and walk Lucas to school as I'd promised him the night before. I slapped my hand over the "snooze" button, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. I stumbled to my feet, walking to the suitcase which I'd left laying wide open on the floor. I fumbled through the clothes, tossing them to the side if I didn't need it.

I showered, making sure to take my time, before Ledger was knocking at the bathroom door bugging me to get out so Lucas wouldn't be late. I mumbled a few profanities, stepping out of the shower and getting dressed. I put on a bit of makeup, before going to the kitchen, where Lucas was happily munching on some toast. Ledger tossed a piece of toast at me, and I was impressed to see my brother wearing a nice suit.

"Never seen you actually so dressed up for anything, bro," I smirked.

Ledger rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, it's for work." He huffed.

I snickered, walking to Luke. I ruffled his hair, munching on my toast.

"Ready to go, kid?" I asked.

Lucas jumped down from his seat, bounding off, most likely to finish getting ready. I smiled, walking to put on my boots. I tugged on my boots, then my coat, scarf, and gloves. Lucas came running to me, now wearing his own winter clothing. I chuckled.

"Don't be giving those ones to a girl, alright?" I teased.

Lucas rolled his eyes, bounding out the door, calling out a loud, "bye, Dad!" I followed behind him, yelling my own goodbye to Ledger as I shut the door behind me. I stuffed my hands lazily in my pockets as I began walking in the direction of Lucas' school. Lucas bounded ahead once more, this time catching up in a conversation with one of the other kids that were walking in the same direction.

I sighed softly, looking around at the neighborhood. My brother had chosen one of the few monster-friendly neighborhoods in the area. Sure, this city was the capitol for monster-kind, but that didn't mean all neighborhoods in the city were exactly kind to monsters. It was still a human-run city.

It didn't take long to reach the elementary school. I gave Lucas his lunch, which I'd snagged from the kitchen table before we both forgot it. I kissed his head, before ruffling his hair and pushing him forward.

"Have fun, kid! Don't be stupid!"

Lucas waved, running off this his friend. I smiled, watching until he was inside the school, before I turned away, sighing. I began walking in the direction of the house, before thinking otherwise. Maybe I'd make another stop at the monster restaurant. The burgers were damn good and they were pretty cheap.

I stood in the middle of the sidewalk, contemplating my life choices. How badly did I really want that burger right now?

I stumbled forward as I suddenly felt a hand shove me forward. I caught myself before I went tumbling to the ground.

"Hey, dude, what the fuck?!" I snapped at the man that'd shoved me.

"Quit standin' in the middle of the way, cunt," snapped the man, scoffing, before they continued walking.

I glared at him, frowning. I picked up my hat that'd fallen off in my stumbling. I brushed the snow off it, mumbling profanities under my breath. I put the hat on, before heading in the direction of Grillby's.

When I arrived, I found the waiter yelling at the three human men who'd passed by me just a few minutes before. One of his windows was smashed in. The man only laughed, tossing a rock in his hand boredly. He raised his hand to throw it at the fire-man.

I reacted immediately, without thinking. I ran forward, slamming my shoulder into the man's side, forcing the man aside. He dropped the rock in the process, stumbling.

"What the fuck...?" The man growled, looking at me. "You again? What the fuck, didn't learn your lesson last time, bitch?" He hissed.

I glared, clenching my fists, not backing down despite the difference in size between us.

"Quit being a racist prick and fuck off!" I snapped, waving at the waiter to call the police, which I was half-certain he'd already done.

The man laughed, along with his two friends. I could feel the eyes of everyone inside Grillby's focused on the scene, some people urging me to back off and others urging me to keep going. I glared, frowning.

"You must be one stupid ass cunt!" The man laughed, before throwing a fist my way.

I quickly sidestepped, which shocked him and myself. Shit... I was grabbed by the hair, and found myself being shoved down, before a knee collided with my nose. I hunched over in the snow, eyes wide as the snow beneath me turned red, blood pouring from my nose. With the sound of police sirens, the men took off, though I doubted they made it far.

"Shit..." I mumbled, bringing a hand up to my face and touching my nose lightly, immediately wincing in pain.

The waiter from the restaurant ran toward me, kneeling beside me.

"Holy shit..." He mumbled in awe.

I looked up at him. A police officer came rushing toward the scene. The waiter helped me stand, my arm around his shoulders. Another officer quickly gave me a wad of gauze to soak up the blood as my nose bled, Grillby explaining what'd happened. I sat on the steps of the restaurant, holding the gauze to my nose, cringing at the taste of blood.

An officer walked to me once Grillby had finished explaining. I looked up at her. She was a monster, which wasn't surprising considering her appearance. She was a fish-like woman, and clearly tough. I'd rather try to fight those other guys than pick a fight with this chick, frankly. She had an eyepatch over one eye, and sharp teeth that were, quite frankly, intimidating as hell.

"Hey, wow, you got your ass kicked," the woman laughed, sitting on the step beside me.

I snickered a bit, looking ahead, not straight at her.

"Yeah, no kidding."

The woman sighed.

"Sorry that it might be a bit too soon for this shit, but can you explain exactly what happened? Grillby stated that you basically saved him from getting a rock up his ass."

I looked down at the ground, where said-rock was resting at my feet. I sighed, kicking it softly, bringing her attention to it. She picked it up, raising a brow.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that's what happened, but I dunno if I'd say I saved him. I was just helping a guy out. He gave me good food yesterday, so I figured I owed him," I laughed awkwardly, regretting it instantly after as the pain kicked in.

The woman blinked twice. She didn't speak, and I realized she wanted me to keep explaining.

"Those guys were assholes. I was just trying to help out. Honestly, I didn't really expect that guy to start kicking my ass. It isn't like I'm some professional fighter or whatever. Still, you should have seen my amazing side-step earlier."

The woman snorted, shaking her head. She wrote down everything I said, before standing up. She gave me a card, which had a phonenumber, along with the name "Command Officer Undyne".

"Alright, well, if you see anything like this happening again, call this number. Instances like this happen all the time in monster areas," she explained with a sigh, "and uh...hey...for what it's worth, thanks for stickin' up for us."

Officer Undyne shot me a wide, sharp-toothed grin, before turning and strolling off. She barked orders at the other officers, who quickly got to work cleaning the place up. I pulled out my phone from my back pocket, which had somehow survived the whole ordeal. I dialed the first number that came to mind.

"Hey, bro... Can you pick me up...?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Already getting angsty and we're only two chapters in. I swear it won't always be like this, hah. Anyway, please enjoy. I'm going to try to update this story regularly and get into a regular updating schedule.


	3. When Waiting Outside a School

I sat on the hospital bed, Ledger pacing in front of me. He didn't say a word, simply running his hand through his hair. Once... Twice... Thrice.

"How many times are you gonna run your hand through your hair?" I blurted.

Ledger shot me a look, clearly not amused. He frowned.

"I can't believe you! You're really unbelievable, _____. How did this even happen? You haven't even been here for a whole twenty-four hours and you already got beat up! God, you're lucky your nose isn't broken! I'm so tempted to just break it anyway as payback for making me worry so much about you!"

Once that can of worms was opened, I knew there was no going back now. I bit my lip, waiting for my brother to finish his rant. I winced as I came across the cut on my lip, quickly releasing it.

"Ledg, this guy was about to get a rock thrown at him. I had to do something..." I began.

Ledger sighed. He ran a hand through his hair once again, sighing. He looked at his watch.

"Yeah, bird, I know... But did you really have to pick a fight with three guys bigger than you?" He mumbled.

I sighed, fidgeting on the hospital bed.

"I mean... Yeah... Honestly. That guy was so nice to Luke and I yesterday. Besides, Ledg, I couldn't just stand around and let him get beat up."

Ledger groaned, rubbing his temple tiredly. He didn't argue this time. He checked his watch again.

"Alright, bird, I'm gonna take you home and go pick up Luke-"

I immediately shook my head.

"No, I'll get him! I can still go pick him up! I promised I'd make a snowman with him today." I stated.

Ledger shot me a warning look, his eyes narrowed, He crossed his arms, clearly contemplating on what to do. I felt like he was suddenly our dad. Jeez, when did Ledg turn into Dad?

"Fine, but don't get beat up again, got it?" He huffed. "And if you do, don't let my son get beat up."

I snorted, rolling my eyes. I stood up, walking toward the door, waving him off.

"Forgetting something?" I could hear the smirk in his voice.

I turned back around, grabbing my coat and my pain meds, before strolling out the door. I shrugged on my coat, sighing as the soreness in my body finally kicked in. It felt like I was sore everywhere, which definitely meant I'd need a hot shower later tonight to soothe the pain. I signed myself out of the hospital, before heading out.

I set off back to Luke's school, hands stuffed in my pockets. I sighed softly, letting out a soft puff of breath, my stomach growling in frustration from not being fed. Between the incident at Grillby's, talking to the police, and the hospital, there was less than an hour left before Lucas got out of school, so I didn't have time to stop and pick up some food for myself or else I'd be late.

I sighed, walking toward the elementary school, rubbing my temple tiredly. By the time I'd reached the school, there was only fifteen minutes left. I sat on one of the swings on the playground, swinging lazily as I waited for my nephew. I was hunched over a bit, staring down at the ground, thinking about the events that'd happened over the course of the day.

I really did get my ass kicked, but at the same time, I'd managed to stop that Grillby guy from getting injured worse. Glad I had the opprotunity to stop something like that, but still... Ledger was already worried about me, and now he had even more of a reason to be.

"mind if i take a _swing_?" A voice piped up.

I jumped in surprise, head whipping up in shock. I hadn't even heard anyone approach.

In front of me stood a skeleton, a tall one at that. He was wearing a blue coat with the fluffiest hood I'd probably ever seen. He smiled lazily at me, gesturing to the empty swing beside me. I realized he was asking to sit down.

"O-Oh, of course. I don't mind," I laughed awkwardly, blushing from embarrassment that I hadn't even noticed him until he spoke up.

The skeleton chuckled, sitting down in the swing. He sighed a bit, leaning back, staring at the school. We sat in a stiff silence, neither of us really speaking up for a while. I swallowed hard, wishing I was better at starting conversation.

"so, you pickin' up a kid here, bruises?" He questioned.

I snorted a bit at the nickname, reaching up to rub my nose at the reminder. I winced a bit.

"Picking up my nephew," I answered, "but I showed up a bit too early. You?"

The skeleton looked at me, pinprick eyes glowing. He chuckled a bit, leaning back in the swing, holding onto the chains of the swing.

"pickin' up a pal's daughter. he's a bit too busy to pick her up, so i figured i ought to help out with something."

I smiled, nodding in understanding. We fell into another awkward silence. I swung my legs lightly, hands holding onto the chains of the swing. I kicked the snow beneath my feet boredly, wracking my mind for some type of conversation starter. Then, it occurred to me that he'd said a pun earlier.

"Wait, did you say a pun?"

The skeleton looked back at me, having been staring at his feet before. He snorted, the bone on where his brow should be raising. He reminded me of how animated that one skeleton Papyrus was.

"that was ages ago, kid. you're just noticin'?"

I snickered awkwardly, blushing from embarrassment.

"Yeah, I guess so. Sorry, I'm a bit out of it today."

He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders lazily.

"we all have our days."

I smiled. I started feeling a bit more comfortable around him. I released one hand from the chain of the swing, holding it out to him.

"I'm _____," I introduced myself.

The skeleton stared at my hand for a moment, as if he wasn't usually offered to shake someone's hand. He blinked (which I tried not to think too hard about), before sliding his large hand into mine and shaking it firmly.

"sans," he stated, "sans the skeleton."

Sans shot me a wink, chuckling. He pulled his hand away, both of us returning them to our sides. The school bell rang, and both our eyes darting toward the building. I stood up, keeping an eye out for Lucas, who I knew would be keeping an eye out for me this time. I waved him over as I saw him step out.

Lucas came bounding over with a little girl, hand-in-hand with her. She was a small, green fire-elemental girl. I blinked, before realizing this must be the young girl who'd borrowed Lucas' scarf and gloves yesterday.

"Auntie _____! This is Fuku!"

I smiled, waving at the young fire girl. She waved back happily, a faint smile beneath her green flames.

"hey, fuku," Sans greeted from behind me, still lazily lounging on the swing, "i'm pickin' you up today."

I looked back at him, then back at the girl. The pieces slowly connected as I realized the situation I'd suddenly found myself in. The world really is small... I couldn't help but snort at the irony of the entire situation.

"Hey, Sans, are you picking her up for Grillby?" I questioned, looking at the skeleton.

Sans raised a brow. His pupils dilated a bit and he seemed to straighten just slightly.

"uh, yeah, you know grillbz?"

I realized how suspicious that must have sounded. The guy literally had his window smashed in earlier today. I quickly waved my hands, laughing awkwardly.

"Oh yeah, I went to his restaurant yesterday, and I was there today after the whole... thing happened..." I stated, gesturing to the bruise on my face, which I knew everyone was just dying to as me about (mainly the kids).

Sans stared at the bruise as the pieces connected. It was like a lightbulb clicked in his skull.

"wow, kid. that's a hell of a _swing_ of events," he chuckled.

I snorted at the pun, rolling my eyes at such a casual response. Frankly, though, I was glad the skeleton monster wasn't making a huge deal out of it like everyone else had been doing throughout the day.

"Tch, you're telling me..." I muttered, smiling.

I turned toward Luke, who was staring up at me. Pointedly, at the bruise. Man, I'd be hearing about that all day.

"You ready to go home, kid?" I asked, not giving him the chance to question me about the bruise.

Lucas blinked, before nodding frantically. He turned to Fuku, who was now patiently standing beside Sans. He'd finally stood up from the swing, now towering over the three of us at our short heights. I watched Lucas give the fire girl a kiss on the cheek, which was followed by both of their glowing embarrassed faces, and wide grins. Sans and I silently watched the cute exchange in amusement.

"Bye, Fuku! See you tomorrow!" Lucas waved, before bounding off, calling after me to hurry.

I snickered, amused. I waved goodbye to Sans and Fuku, before rushing after my nephew, shaking my head at his embarrassment. I spared a glance back at Sans and Fuku before I turned the corner, only to find that the two of them had now disappeared. I blinked, humming thoughtfully, before following after Lucas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third chapter is a bit short and also the last chapter of the day. Just trying to kind of get things started before going into a regular updating schedule, which'll probably be about once or twice a week. Just depends on how motivated I am to spit out some chapters, haha. Anyway, you finally met a punny skeleton and realize just how small the world really is.


	4. When Lost

The next few days leading up to Christmas were rather hectic. Ledger and Miley were constantly gone, shifting between Christmas shopping and work. Luke was finishing his last week of school before he'd be free for Christmas break. Christmas was in exactly nine days.

Worst part?

I didn't have a single bit of my own Christmas shopping finished, which seemed ironic considering that the main reason I'd come out was for Christmas.

I sighed as I tugged on my coat, grumbling curses. There had been another blizzard last night, so there was damn-near a solid two feet of snow on the ground by now. Huffing, I braced myself as I stepped out into the freezing cold. I tightened my scarf around my neck, shuffling through the snow in the driveway. I just needed to get to the mall, then hopefully survive the cold walk home.

I sped down the sidewalk, shivering. My feet scuffled on the poorly shoveled sidewalk as I all but ran, slipping occasionally but never actually falling. Why did the mall suddenly feel like it was farther than it should be? Ledger had only taken me there two days ago. Did I take a wrong turn?

_Fuck._

I stopped walking, scanning the area. There were a few small, locally owned stores nearby, none of which I recognized. I trembled, hiding my face in my scarf, trying to figure out where exactly I was. I continued walking forward, passing by the cute little stores, most of which were monster-owned stores. I took a mental note that I'd have to come back here another time to shop for some things.

"What the hell kind of shit coffee is this?!" A voice yelled.

I whipped my head around, seeing one of those cart vendors. There was a cat-like monster man standing behind it, a bored look on his face as a human man yelled at him. I quietly walked to them, prepared to interviene if needed.

"Sorry, pal, but that's the only stuff I got," the cat-man sighed.

"Are you fucking serious?" The man practically growled.

The man threw the coffee at the vedor, before storming off furiously. I frowned.

"Racist asshole!" I called after him.

The man ignored me, flipping me the bird. I walked toward the monster man, who was trying to ring the coffee out of his shirt. I gulped, handing him some napkins.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked.

He sighed, looking at me lazily. He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, little buddy, I'll be fine. What do you care anyway?"

I scoffed.

"Not all of us are racist," I muttered, looking away.

The man looked guilty. He didn't say anything for a while, continuing to try to dab the coffee out of his white work-shirt. I looked at his nametag. _Burgerpants_ , huh? Interesting name for a guy who's selling coffee.

"Well, how about I buy a coffee to make up for the one that guy didn't drink?" I offered.

The monster gave me an incredulous stare. He raised an orange brow, leaning against the counter of his cart.

"You want to buy a coffee? After that guy called my coffee shit?"

I shrugged my shoulders, getting out my wallet. I slapped some money on the countertop.

"Hey, man, coffee is coffee alright? It'll be fine. I'll take a vanilla latte."

Burgerpants sighed, straightening up and getting to work.

"Alright, little buddy. Whatever you say."

I watched him make the coffee, sighing. It didn't take long before he set the cup down in front of me, and rang me up for the coffee. I sipped on the hot drink, feeling it instantly warm me up. I smiled at him.

"Keep the change. Thanks for the coffee."

I waved him a goodbye, before wandering away, feeling his eyes burning into me. I pulled out my phone, pulling up the directions to the mall. Yep, definitely should have done this earlier.

The mall was busier than I'd expected when I arrived. I figured the snow would keep people in their homes, but apparently I wasn't the only crazy out in weather like this for Christmas shopping. I sighed softly, sipping on my latte as I wandered the mall. I only bought a few things, things that I knew my family would enjoy.

I sighed softly, checking the time. It was getting late, and I knew it'd be dark soon. With a huff, I started on my cold trek home. I held the bags in my hands, also fumbling with my home as I followed the directions back toward Ledger's place. I felt myself trembling from the cold, wishing I'd gone home sooner. I shouldn't have been looking at that stupid sweatshirt, or those sneakers...

The GPS took me through a neighborhood, nearby to where I recognized Grillby's was. That was, of course, when my phone had died. I put my phone in my pocket with a frustrated groan, looking around. It was a cute little neighborhood, almost every house decorated with Christmas lights.

"you lost 'er something?" A voice piped up from a house I was passing.

I looked over, seeing a familiar skeleton standing on the porch. Smoke slithered from his eyesockets, nasal hole, and from his mouth, where a cigarrette rested between his teeth. He seemed to recognize me almost instantly, and he grinned a bit.

"hey, bruises."

I stared at the skeleton in awe. How was a skeleton of all people able to smoke a cigarrette?

"Hey, Sans..." I blinked.

The skeleton straightened up from where he was leaning on the wall. He walked toward me.

"you look lost..." He stated, wearing a taunting smirk.

I scoffed, feeling my cheeks heat up from the obvious accusation. I wasn't...technically lost. I looked down at my shoes, kicking at the snow nervously.

"Technically... no, I'm not..."

"technically?"

Sans was standing right in front of me now, probably amused at my embarrassed expression.

"I know I'm near Grillby's..." I trailed off.

"correct."

"And I know my house is somewhere near Grillby's..."

"really?"

"Eh, not really. It's a few blocks away."

Sans snickered. He dropped his cigarrette in the snow, stomping on it to put it out. He lazily stuffed his hands in his pockets. He grinned down at me once I dared to glance up at him.

"well then, if you're so lost, why didn't ya just ask for directions?"

I tugged my scarf up, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"I didn't want to ask. That'd be embarrassing."

The skeleton laughed. He gave me a playful slap on the shoulder, before beginning to walk down the sidewalk. I stood there, confused, watching him as he walked. He glanced back at me from over his shoulder, brow bone raised and white pupils glowing with emotion that almost showed curiousity.

"aren't 'ya comin'? thought you needed to get to grillby's," he chuckled.

My eyes widened. I quickly shuffled after him, holding onto my bags and making sure I didn't fall and embarrass myself even more in front of the monster. I walked alongside him, biting my lip. Sans didn't speak, staring ahead silently.

"Thanks," I piped up, sighing.

He looked down at me, considering that he stood a good foot taller than me. He smiled.

"yeah, 'course. i owe you one anyway."

I must've had the dumbest look on my face after that statement. He owed me? What could he have possibly owed me for? I've only seen the guy once before, and it was just when I was picking up my nephew and he was picking up that little girl. We'd hardly even had a full conversation.

"You owe me? For what?" I questioned, staring up at him in interest.

"for savin' my friend's ass. he coulda been hurt bad, so i owe you for not lettin' him get hurt."

He owed me for helping out Grillby? I didn't think he, or anybody for that matter, owed me.

"Nah, you don't owe me anything. Neither does Grillby. I just wanted to help out."

Sans hummed a bit in thought. We fell into another silence. I could tell Sans was thinking about things, and decided not to inturrupt him. He seemed like the kind of person who didn't trust humans easily, just based on the expression he had when we first met.

I wondered what'd happened to him to make him lose his trust in us. Maybe something to do with the Grillby situation? Most likely. Frankly, I wouldn't trust humans either.

"so, your nephew," Sans piped up, finally initiating a conversation of his own, "fuku talked nonstop about him on the way to her dad's place."

I smiled, thinking about the two kids.

"Yeah, Luke really has a thing for her," I stated.

Sans snickered a bit.

"apparently she does too. she told me all about how he let her borrow his gloves and scarf, or somethin'. she was all excited 'cause she's made outta fire and so no one ever worries 'bout that kinda thing."

"Yeah, my nephew is kind of a dork," I smiled, "and he's too nice for his own good. Had to let him borrow my own gloves and scarf so he wouldn't freeze to death. Either way, I totally ship them," I joked.

"same."

Sans and I laughed along together. Soon enough, we'd reached the familiar restaurant. I turned to the skeleton, smiling.

"I can get home from here. Thanks."

The skeleton nodded, chuckling.

"'course. like i said, i owed you one," he winked.

I rolled my eyes, laughing a bit. I waved him goodbye, before starting in the direction of my brother's house. I felt his eyes burning into my back, and turned to glance back at him, only to find that he'd disappeared. I blinked, before continuing onward.

The house was warm as I stepped inside. I shivered, shuffling out of my winter clothing.

"Ledge, I'm back!" I called.

Loud footsteps quickly followed, before I was yanked into a tight hug. I coughed, crushed against my brother's chest.

"Ledge, what the hell-"

He smacked me hard on the back of the head.

"I thought you said you were going Christmas shopping!"

I blinked.

"I did."

I held up my bags, confused as to what he meant.

"You've been gone all friggin' day, _____! I thought you were fucking kidnapped or something! I've been calling you for the last freaking hour and I was about to go out and look for you!" He was now whisper-yelling at me, probably because Luke was asleep upstairs.

"Oh..."

"Oh!? Really, that's all you have to say!?"

There was another hard smack to the back of my head. I pouted, rubbing my head as he pulled away. He crossed his arms.

"You're the worst... Besides, how do you even have money to buy shit anyway?"

I scoffed, feigning fake hurt.

"Excuse me. I never said I didn't have a LITTLE bit of money. I just said I didn't have enough for rent."

Ledger rolled his eyes. He kicked off his shoes that I now realized he was wearing. Man, he really was about to come out and hunt me down. What a good brother... heh. He waved me off, walking back upstairs, most likely to bed. I snickered, watching him go.

"Night, Ledg."

I recieved a grumpy "goodnight" in response. Once he had disappeared upstairs, I walked to the living room and tried to mentally prepare myself for wrapping these presents, which I knew would probably take me all night. My wrapping abilities were definitely not great.

Huffing, I pulled out the cheap wrapping paper I'd gotten, and spent the rest of my night wrapping the gifts I'd gotten for my family.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna try to have another chapter up by the end of the night. It took me forever to figure out what to do after that last chapter. Honestly, I have no clue why it took me so long to figure it out. I just left it in kind of a weird spot last time. Oh whale... Anywhore, please enjoy! I love the feedback I'm already getting from the story!


	5. When At Lunch

I felt a shake on my shoulder, groaning a bit in response.

"_____, get up, come on," Ledger's voice piped up.

The shaking on my shoulders got harder, forcing me to open my eyes and glare at the person shaking me awake. Ledger sighed, kneeling in front of me. He reached up, pulling a piece of tape of my cheek.

"You feel asleep in the living room wrapping gifts," he smirked a bit.

I sat up, rubbing my eyes, realizing he was correct. Wrapping paper laid on the floor around me, and for a second I got worried that I hadn't wrapped all the gifts and that Ledger would see what I got him. Realizing I'd gotten them all wrapped, I sighed in relief.

Ledger started picking up the pieces off the floor, sighing.

"Come on, get up, bird. I got a meeting for lunch, and I want you to come along."

My eyes widened.

"W-What, why!?"

"Because I said so. Besides, you'll like it. I work with this lady, and I want you to meet her and her friends. You need to meet some people out here, bird. It'd help you decide to move out here."

"It's not even lunch time!" I protested.

Ledger held up his phone, which shone with an obvious '11:03 A.M.' on the screen. I groaned. Going to big lunch meetings really wasn't my thing. I huffed stubbornly, standing up.

"I'm only doing this because you're letting me stay here for a few weeks." I stated stubbornly.

Ledger didn't answer, continuing to pick up wrapping paper. I walked to my room, digging through my suitcase for some clothes. Once I grabbed some, I walked to the bathroom and took a quick shower, before getting dressed. I tried to make myself slightly presentable, not wanting to embarrass myself in front of Ledger's friends. It was obvious that he worked at a pretty nice place, considering the amount of money he was bringing in.

Frankly, it made me slightly envious. I'd probably never be able to get a job like that. Any job I'd ever had was a part-time job that I absolutely hated. Yet, at the same time, I knew that Ledg had some type of an office job, which I was definitely not interested in.

I sighed softly, dabbing concealer over the bruise on the bridge of my nose. It had mostly heal, but there was still some faint evidence of it. Luckily, the concealer completely covered it. I put on the rest of my makeup, which was mainly just eyeliner and mascara. Once I looked slightly presentable, I left my room and walked downstairs, where Ledg was waiting by the front door, staring at his watch.

"Ready to go?" He asked, not bothering to look up.

I sighed, putting on my boots. I tugged on my scarf and a beanie, nodding.

"Yeah, lets go..."

Ledger tugged me out the door and into his car. He walked to the driver's seat, turning on the car. I immediately turned on the heated seat, smirking. My brother rolled his eyes at me, snorting, before we left to wherever the heck we were going for lunch.

I tapped my foot softly, sighing. I focused my gaze out the window.

"Who are these people anyway?"

"No one too special..." He trailed off.

That made me instantly suspicious. I looked at him, raising a brow.

"Who is it, Ledger? Don't dodge my question."

My brother sighed. He reached one hand up, running it through his hair. It was a nervous tick of his, something he only did when he was anxious about something. His nervousness instantly made me nervous.

"Ledger, come on."

"Listen, bird, I work for an important company. I work for Monster International Freedom Organization-"

"- _you_ work for MIFO, seriously?"

Ledger shot me a glare.

"Yes, I work for MIFO," he sighed, "and today I'm meeting with the Ambassador and the Queen. I asked for more MIFO intervention after the incident at Grillby's, they set up a meeting. That's why I needed you to tag along. If you explained what happened, then the Ambassador could speak up about how monster racism is becoming a problem that's affecting humans too. We could help with laws that can help prevent the attacks against monsters."

I stared at him. He stared ahead at the road, gripping the steering wheel.

"Y-You're dragging me into _politics_?"

"Oh come on, _____! It really isn't like that! They were the one who set up the meeting and asked to speak with you!"

I groaned, covering my face.

"I can NOT believe you!" I hissed. "Ledger, you know I hate getting involved in things like this!"

"Don't worry about it! You'll be fine. They're great."

I didn't speak again until we got to the restaurant. Sighing, I got out of the vehicle. I quickly checked my makeup again, making sure the bruise was hidden well beneath the concealer. The only noticeable injury was the small cut on my lower lip. Hopefully they didn't take notice of it.

I nervously walked inside with Ledger. It wasn't some big fancy place like I'd expected. It was more like a cute diner, with normal families sitting around, eating food that didn't actually look too expensive.

Ledger waved toward two people sitting in one of the tables, walking to them with a smile. I followed him quietly, a bit surprised by the two people who sat there. There was a goat woman, who I'd quickly recognized as Queen Toriel, the queen of the monsters. Beside her sat a teenage girl, who smiled up at Ledger. That must be the Ambassador, who I'd heard was a kid, but honestly never believed it.

"Ah, you must be _____! Your brother talked so much about you!" Toriel greeted as she stood up, smiling.

I was stunned as I was pulled into a tight hug. I awkwardly laughed, unsure how to react. I shot Ledger a panicked look. He only looked amused, crossing his arms. The woman released me, giving me a warm smile. I returned the smile. The queen turned toward the teenager, who waved with a smile.

"This is my daughter, and the Ambassador of monsters, Frisk," Toriel introduced proudly.

I let my smile widen, waving back. Ledger and I sat down in the seats across from them. My nerves had completely disappeared with the hug from before, and they didn't come back even as conversation about the incident started up.

"So, what exactly happened? I heard talk about it from other monsters, along with from your brother, but I'd like to hear your story about it too, if you don't mind," Toriel spoke up.

I nodded, biting my lip softly, tugging at the cut softly.

"Oh, yeah... Well, it really isn't as big of a deal as everyone's been making it out to be. I'd gotten lunch from that place the day before with my nephew. That Grillby guy was so nice. So, I went back the next day for a burger or something. I actually had passed those guys on the street on my way there, and they were total di-" I caught myself. "-jerks."

Toriel shot me a grateful look. Her and Frisk were listening closely, and they were probably taking mental notes everytime I said something important about the situation.

"Anyway, when I got to Grillby's they'd thrown a rock through the guy's window. I have no idea if anyone got hurt, but I don't think they did. They were yelling some racist slurs, but I wasn't listening much to what they were saying. I just knew I had to interject once I saw one guy about to throw a rock at Grillby. Honestly, I have no clue if that guy would have even been affected by a rock, but I figured I shouldn't risk it. So, I stepped in and...yeah... You probably heard the end of the story."

Toriel nodded softly. She gently put her large paws over my hands, which were laying on the table. She smiled at me softly.

"You did a good thing... Not many people would have stood up and done what you did. We're grateful for it..."

I smiled back softly.

"You know, I've been getting that a lot lately," I laughed a bit.

Frisk leaned forward, finally speaking up.

"Those guys got arrested," she said softly, her voice quiet.

I looked at her. I nodded softly, leaning back in my seat.

"Good, I'm glad."

Ledger, Frisk, and Toriel all got into an easy conversation about the situation. I sighed softly, putting my arms behind my head, leaning the seat back on the back two legs. I shut my eyes, thinking about the situation I was in.

"i expected to catch'a here," a voice piped up behind me suddenly.

My eyes shot open as I jumped in shock, letting out a yelp as it knocked my balance off and I went falling backwards. Two arms caught me from behind, stopping me from falling too far. I stared up at the person who'd saved me, seeing a smirking skeleton staring down at me.

"S-Sans?" I squeaked.

"for the record, that was a completely unintended pun," he chuckled.

Sans pushed me back up, looking in the direction of the queen, Frisk, and Ledger. He gave them a two-fingered salute, grinning widely.

"'sup."

"Sans!" Toriel sighed. "You're late!"

Sans chuckled, pulling up a chair at the end of the table, sitting down. I found myself wondering why Sans was here, and how he was connected to the queen and ambassador. Sadly, my question was never answered.

"yeah, pap's was running late from work and i didn't wanna leave without tellin' him where i was going."

Toriel nodded. She gestured to me.

"You already know _____?" She asked.

Ledger gave the skeleton a suspicious glance. Sans nodded, propping his arm up on the table and resting his chin in his palm lazily. He looked at me.

"yeah, i met 'er when i was picking up fuku for grillbz," he stated, "and saw her again yesterday when she was-"

I gave him a pleading look, begging him not to announce the fact that I was lost to the entire table. That'd definitely be a story I'd never live down from Ledger. Besides, he would be pissed if he knew that was the reason I'd been running so late yesterday.

"-lonely." The skeleton finished the sentence awkwardly.

I was grateful for his cooperation. Ledger raised a brow, staring at Sans.

"Lonely?"

Sans coughed awkwardly, unsure what to say. He tapped his fingers on the table, trying to play it cool.

"yeah, ya know, walking alone. i recognized her and figured she looked a little too _bonely_ , so I walked with her to keep her company."

Toriel giggled at the pun, while Frisk rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Sans, I swear!" She whined.

The skeleton chuckled, clearly amused by his own pun. He picked up a menu, waving it.

"isn't anyone gonna try some of the _egg-_ celent food?" He questioned.

I snorted a bit, picking up a menu of my own, thankful for the change in subject. I scanned over the food options. Soon enough, everyone had ordered thier food, and a waiter was picking up the menus. I looked around the place, sighing softly. Frankly, it seemed like a cute place to work...

"So, _____, your brother mentioned that you aren't living here. I'm assuming that means you're visiting for Christmas." Toriel spoke up.

I focused my gaze on her. I nodded, smiling softly.

"Yeah, I'm here visiting Ledg and his family for Christmas. I usually spend it alone in my apartment."

"How come things changed this year?" Frisk asked.

I fell silent, fiddling with my napkin softly. I spared a glance over at Ledger, not really wanting to announce my financial situation to probably some very rich people.

"She got a little lonely," Ledger chuckled awkwardly, "besides, if she didn't come visit me this year, I'd have driven out there to drag her here. It's been forever since I last saw my baby sister."

Ledger reached over, ruffling my hair. I glared at him, quickly trying to fix it, huffing softly. Toriel smiled.

"Well it's nice that you came to spend the holidays with your sibling," she said softly, "perhaps we could all get together and do a Christmas meal? A few of my closest friends were planning on having a meal together on Saturday. Ledger, you and your family are very welcome to join us." She offered.

I was a bit stunned, to say the least. Ledger smiled, instantly nodding.

"Yeah, that'd be great, huh, bird?" Ledg elbowed me lightly in the side.

I smiled, nodding in agreement. Toriel clapped her paws excitedly.

"Fantastic! Everyone will be so thrilled to have you join us!" She said.

Ledger and I grinned happily. Our food came and we all began eating. The food really was amazing here. I'd definitely be coming back, as long as I remembered where I was actually going.

Soon enough, we'd all finished eating. Sans chuckled, leaning back in his seat, stuffing his hands in his pockets. I didn't bother to question where all the food had gone, considering he was a skeleton. I decided to simply blame it on the fact that it was magic. Literally.

"man, that really was a _tasty_ meal..." Sans smirked, standing up, "but sadly i'll have to _cabbage_ you guys later."

Toriel nodded, smiling.

"I'm afraid that Frisk and I will have to do the same. We hope to see you guys on Saturday. And don't worry about your meals, we will pay for it." She said, smiling.

Ledger smiled, standing up.

"Thank you, ma'am." He said.

"Oh, enough of that nonsense! You can both just call me Toriel or Tori!" She laughed.

"or old lady." Sans chuckled.

Toriel lightly swatted him on the back of the skull, reminding me of what Ledger or mom would do to me when I was a teengager. Well, not just as a teenager. They still do that to me. I laughed a bit at Toriel's reaction to Sans, smiling. He chuckled, reaching into his pocket for something and strolling toward the door.

"i'll _ketchup_ with you guys later!" He called over his shoulder lazily.

We all parted ways after Sans was gone, saying the last of our goodbyes before we were gone. I sat in the car with Ledger, feeling much more confident than I had been before we'd left.

"Told you that you didn't have anything to worry about," Ledger chuckled.

I nodded, humming in thought.

"Yeah, you were right. They're way different than I thought," I shrugged a bit.

We fell into a comfortable silence. I stared out the window, sighing softly as one thing tugged at my mind. There was only one thing that was nagging at me from the beginning of the meeting.

"Hey, Ledg, what does that Sans guy do that made him important enough to be at our meeting?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got 'er up and ready to be...read. Anywho, hope everyone enjoys. I'll try to have another chapter up on Sunday. If I'm lucky, I'll have a chapter up by tomorrow night. Enjoy!


	6. When Truths Are Revealed

I expected to get a proper answer, with a big explanation on what Sans did for a job. I half-expected Ledg to tell me all about how the skeleton was secretly the monster king and that King Dreemurr was a coverup for Sans being the true king.

"Honestly, I have no clue," Ledger shrugged, "the guy is always around headquarters, but I never actually see him _doing_ anything."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, the guy is usually sleeping or sitting around whenever I see him," Ledger rolled his eyes, "literally, the only time I ever saw him doing anything other than those two things, it was when his brother was dragging him out to go home."

I snickered a bit.

"Wow."

"No kidding." Ledger laughed.

I, for some reason, could definitely imagine Sans doing something like that, despite the fact that I'd only actually seen him three times. It just seemed like something the guy would do.

"Anyway, how'd you actually meet him?" Ledger questioned. "Because I definitely am not stupid enough to fall for that whole, 'she was lonely' bullshit."

I bit my lip, rubbing my arm awkwardly. I wracked my mind for literally any other excuse other than the super lame one that Sans had come up with. There was no way I could admit the fact that I was lost to Ledger. I'd never hear the end of it.

"I mean, I was lonely..." I trailed off.

"Bird, cut the shit."

I huffed.

"I was lost..." I mumbled.

"You were...what?"

"Lost."

Ledger went silent for a few moments. He gripped the steering wheel, staring ahead. Finally, he let out a snort.

"You were...lost...?" He deadpanned.

I groaned, covering my face with my hands, embarrassed.

"Yes, I was lost when I was shopping yesterday."

With the admittance, Ledger burst into laughter. I grumbled curses under my breath, puffing out my cheeks in a pout. I let him laugh it off, not speaking until he was completely finished.

"Are you done yet?" I muttered.

Ledg snickered quietly.

"I literally showed you around the other day."

I rolled my eyes.

"You're the worst!" I announced.

Ledger only burst into another fit of laughter, stopping only once we actually got to the house. I got out, letting out a loud groan as I walked into the house. I grumbled quietly to myself, walking to my room, pretending as though there wasn't a wide smile on my lips.

I changed into some leggings and a casual t-shirt, before sitting down in bed. I sighed softly, looking up at the ceiling, letting my thoughts take over. From the room beside me, I could faintly hear Ledger on the phone with someone, but didn't pay it much mind.

The thing tugging on my mind was the fact that I couldn't stay like this forever. Someday I'd have to go home, which meant I'd have to find a well-paying job so I could pay rent. I knew that my money situation would someday come and bite me in the ass, and then I'd regret not having it together more.

I hugged my knees, breaking from my thoughts as I heard a loud knock at my door. I sighed softly, watching Ledg come in before there was even a response from me.

"Dude, I literally could have been changing-"

"What the hell, bird!?"

I flinched at his harsh tone, staring up at him, my eyes widening.

"W-What?" I stuttered out, still in shock from his outburst.

Ledger slammed a paper down in front of me. I looked at it, seeing it was a bill for my rent. I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling my heartbeat pound against my chest.

"You haven't paid your rent in TWO months, _____?! When the hell were you gonna tell me about that? Oh, and maybe the fact that you don't even have a job! You got fired from it two months ago!"

I stared down at the paper, swallowing hard. Tears stung my eyes. I fought hard not to let them fall, especially not in front of him.

"Your fucking landlord called me and told me she wanted you out of her apartments the moment you get back! What the hell, bird, why wouldn't you tell me you were so behind on rent?!"

"I-I didn't want you to worry..." I said quietly.

"WORRY!? Tch, bird, it's a little too late for that! I've been fucking worrying since you got here! Dammit, _____, I knew you were hiding something the moment you called me and asked to stay for an extra week! Not only that _____, but if I was contacted by your landlord, then so was Mom and Dad!"

Ledger ran a hand through his hair, pacing. He frowned. I didn't speak, staring at him. He reminded me of my dad more than anything right now, which was something neither of us wanted him to become.

"Ledg, I've been trying to get a job, but I couldn't find one where I could make enough to pay rent!" I said, standing up.

He glared at me.

"You got FIRED! What the hell happened, _____!? You've been telling me that everything's been fine for the last two months! You _promised_ me that you had everything together, but you lied to me again and again!"

"I did have it together! I was getting it figured out!"

I put my hands on his arm, tears spilling freely. He shoved me back, only enough for me to stumble a bit.

"No, you weren't! You never have it together!" He yelled.

I stared at him, tears stinging my eyes. I grabbed my coat and shoes, shoving past him and toward the door.

"Where the hell are you going!?" He yelled after me.

"Away from YOU!" I snapped back.

I stumbled as I put on my boots and slipped on my coat, slamming the front door behind me as I left. I shivered, hugging my upper arms tightly as I stormed away from the house, tears streaming uncontrollably down my face. I frantically wiped at them with trembling hands.

 _Fuck,_ it was cold.

Didn't watch where I was going, only wandering aimlessly down the sidewalk. Right now, I just wanted to be anywhere but with Ledger. I was so frustrated with my brother. He talked to me as if I've never had my life together before. I _did_ , but right now, I was just in a rough patch.

I sighed, tugging my coat tighter around me, walking to the park that was nearby. I swiped the snow off the swing, sitting down on it, feeling the freezing cold of the plastic through my leggings. I huffed softly at the feeling of my phone buzzing frantically in my pocket. I turned it off, knowing it was a mixture of calls and texts from my parents and from Ledger. I wasn't willing to face any of them just yet.

I sniffled shakily, wiping my tears softly. My makeup was definitely a mess by now. In fact, everything about me was probably a mess by now.

"you must have a habit of being out alone in the freezing cold, huh?" A voice piped up behind me.

I turned, facing Sans, who stared down at me with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his coat. I wiped the remainder of my tears, forcing a small smile onto my lips.

"Y-Yeah," I chuckled, "I guess I do."

The skeleton sat down in the empty swing beside me, swinging lazily.

"what's up with the waterworks?"

I bit my lip, looking down at my hands. Sans gave me time to think of an answer, not pestering me about the situation.

"Just... had a fight with my brother..."

Sans hummed thoughtfully. He looked down at the snow, sighing softly.

"hate when that happens."

We fell into a fairly awkward silence. I sniffled a few times, the cold slowly beginning to set in. I really would get sick soon if I didn't get somewhere warm, but I couldn't go back to Ledge's place right now, I just couldn't.

"So, how come your out here in the cold?" I asked, looking at him.

Sans chuckled a bit.

"just had to evacuate the house for a bit. my bro was cookin' spaghetti but he must've burnt it because, man, the smell of smoke was so strong for a while there."

I laughed a bit, a real laugh this time.

"Wow, that's a shame."

"i know right."

I smiled a bit, looking back at my lap. I wanted to start up another conversation, but I was really unsure what to say next. I felt comfortable around the skeleton, but I couldn't find any topic that would be a decent enough conversation starter.

"aren'tcha cold?" Sans finally asked.

"Freezing, actually," I laughed.

"well, if you're avoidin' your bro, you could always come over to my place and try some of pap's spaghetti. he'd have remade it by now, and despite what anyone says, it actually isn't too bad. but i gotta get home before my bro sends out a search party, and i'd hate to leave a sad girl out here in the cold by 'erself," Sans looked at me.

I laughed softly, smiling widely.

"Wow, your brother sounds awesome."

"he's the coolest."

Sans smiled widely, wider than he usually did, as I'd noticed. He seemed to light up whenever he talked about his brother. I wondered momentarily if it was the same whenever I talked about Ledger, or when he talked about me. Guess I never really thought about it.

Sans stood up, finally, breaking me from my train of thought. He pulled one hand from his pocket, holding it out for me to take.

"taggin' along, kid, or are you really gonna make me into an asshole for leavin' you out here?" He teased.

I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should get home or not. Ledger would probably worry, unless he was still pissed. Realizing I didn't want to take that risk, I decided that Ledger could wait a bit longer. I took the skeleton's hand, allowing him to tug me to my feet. Sans grinned, before turning on his heel and heading in the direction of what I assumed was his house. I quickly followed after him, matching my pace with his.

I sighed softly, staring at my shoes as we trudged through the snow in silence. Thankfully, their house wasn't too far. Sans opened the door for me, smiling. I stepped inside, thankful for the warmth.

"Wow..." I murmured, looking around their house.

It wasn't too big, but it felt insanely homey. It smelled strongly of spaghetti, along with a faint smell of wood and vanilla...and ketchup, which is what I assumed their house probably smelled like when spaghetti wasn't literally being made. Sans stepped inside, not bothering to kick off his shoes as he walked through the house.

"hey, paps, i brought some company!" He called, plopping onto the old, green couch.

Sans turned to wink at me, smirking as loud footsteps came from the kitchen. Soon enough, a giant skeleton stepped into view. I recognized him immediately, and he seemed to do the same.

"OH! SANS, I KNOW THIS HUMAN! THIS IS THAT HUMAN FROM THE GREASE RESTAURANT!"

Sans raised a brow bone.

"you know her, papyrus?"

"OH, OF COURSE I DO! IT IS A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU AGAIN, HUMAN!"

Papyrus ran forward, hugging me tightly against his spaghetti covered 'Kiss the ~~Cook~~ GREAT PAPYRUS' apron. I laughed, squirming a bit.

"Hey, it's good to see you again, Papyrus."

Sans chuckled to himself on the couch, watching us. Papyrus set me down, turning toward Sans and waving his spatula at him. Sans' eyelights followed the movements of the spatula in amusement.

"dude, don't _flip_ out," Sans chuckled.

I snorted at the pun, while Papyrus' eyes narrowed. He chucked the spatula at Sans, which hit him square in the face. He only chuckled, tossing the spatula back to his frustrated brother.

"SANS! YOU LEFT WITHOUT EVEN HELPING ME CLEAN UP THE BURNT MESS IN THE KITCHEN, YOU LAZYBONES!"

I snickered softly, covering my mouth to hide my laughter. Sans shrugged, leaning back on the couch, arms folded behind his head.

"yeah, figured you didn't _noodle_ the help you could get."

"SANS!"

Papyrus stormed off, groaning loudly.

"SPAGHETTI WILL BE FINISHED IN FIVE MINUTES!"

Sans snickered quietly to himself, watching his brother storm off.

"he won't be getting _pasta_ that anytime soon."

I burst into laughter at the final blow. Sans grinned wider, watching me as I laughed uncontrollably. He sat up from the couch.

"you know, you can actually come inside. we don't bite, i swear," Sans winked, grinning wider, as if to show off his teeth.

I realized I was still standing by the door. I smiled, walking inside. He moved over, giving me some space to sit down beside him on the couch. He grabbed the TV remote, flipping on a random channel. We talked about random things, not bothering to pay attention to the TV. It wasn't long before Papyrus came out with two plates full of spaghetti, all but dropping them onto our laps.

I smiled, looking up at him.

"Looks great, Papyrus. Thanks." I grinned.

"BUT OF COURSE! LET THIS BE OUR MARK FOR THE BEGINNING OF OUR FRIENDSHIP!"

His sentence only made me grin wider, making me forget about all my problems that felt so distant now.

"yeah, 'course, to our new friendship, right, bruises?" Sans grinned.

I looked at him. I laughed a bit, nodding. We clinked plates, as if using our plates of spaghetti for a toast, both of us grinning widely. When Papyrus returned to the living room with his own plate of spaghetti, we all dug in. Frankly, Sans was right, it definitely wasn't bad. Slightly burnt, but not bad.

Sadly, reality dawned on me after I'd finished my spaghetti. I sighed softly, looking down at my plate, smiling still.

"I should get home. My family will be worrying if I don't get home..."

Papyrus picked up Sans and I's plates, nodding. He stood up, grinning.

"THAT IS QUITE ALRIGHT, HUMAN! MY BROTHER WILL ENSURE YOU GET HOME SAFELY, WON'T YOU, SANS?"

Sans looked up at him. He blinked, before nodding. He stood up, once again holding his hand out for me to take. He grinned.

"yeah, 'course. come on, bruises."

I smiled, taking his hand. He once again pulled me to my feet. I stumbled forward a bit, putting my hands on his chest to stop myself from completely falling onto him. He looked down at me, a faint blue tint to his cheekbones. I quickly stepped back, hurrying to put on my shoes and coat, laughing awkwardly.

"S-Sorry!" I said quickly, tugging on my coat.

The skeleton only chuckled in response, tugging at his sleeve as he walked toward me.

"nah, you're good, bruises."

I wondered momentarily if he'd forgotten my real name. In fact, I couldn't recall a single time when he'd called me by my real name. It was always 'Bruises' or 'kid'. I decided against questioning it. He didn't seem like the kind of person who'd really forget it, honestly.

I yelled a goodbye to Papyrus, before Sans and I left. I tugged my coat tightly around me, sighing softly as I headed in the direction of my house. I was a bit surprised with myself that I actually remembered this time.

"you gonna be okay?" Sans piped up beside me.

I looked up at him. I smiled softly.

"Yeah, I'll be alright."

Sans returned the smile. I suddenly found myself thankful that I had found a new friend in him and his brother. This time, I decided I owed Sans for helping me out and cheering me up.

"Thanks, Sans," I said as the house came into view.

Sans nodded, stuffing his hands lazily in his pockets. I stopped at the end of the driveway, turning toward him. I grinned, rubbing my arm.

"hey, can i maybe get your number? you know, for the sake of sharing lame puns in case your ever off wandering alone again," Sans winked.

I laughed, pulling out my phone. I turned it back on, pretending as if there wasn't a million calls from my family. He handed me his phone, and we exchanged numbers. I gave him back his phone, taking mine back and stuffing it back in the pocket.

"Thanks, pun-man," I teased, giving him a salute before walking toward the house.

Sans chuckled from behind me.

"see ya later, bruises."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter would have been up hours ago, but my computer of course decided to reset in the middle of writing it. Of course, it didn't save and so I had to rewrite the whole thing. There might have also been a slight delay which involved me getting distracted by the movie Inside Out, but that's irrelevant. XD Enjoy!


	7. When Searching for a Job

I stepped into the house, shutting the door softly behind me. I swallowed hard, leaning back against the front door, hesitant to step any further inside and face my family. I was, frankly, acting quite childish. Still, the thought of going back out and going after Sans was tempting. I really _was not_ ready to face them yet.

Sighing softly, I walked further into the house, not taking off my boots or coat, just as a precaution. In the kitchen, I could hear Ledger talking to Miley. I stopped in the entryway of the kitchen, biting my lip softly as both their eyes instantly darted toward me.

"Hey..." I said quietly, looking down at my shoes.

"God damnit, Bird..."

Ledger pulled me into his chest, his arms tight around me. I sniffled, tearing up as I wrapped my arms around his waist shakily.

"Do you have any idea how fucking _worried_ I was!? I was driving around the city like a freaking maniac looking for you, dammit! I was afraid you froze to death or some crazy shit! You weren't answering any calls and no one else I knew had seen you around!" He rambled.

Ledger pulled away, holding my shoulders as he stared down at me.

"Where _were_ you, _____?"

I rubbed my arm softly, looking down once again.

"I was at the park for a while... Then I went to Sans' house..."

"You... went to Sans' house?" He deadpanned.

I nodded, sighing. I fidgeted, realizing how weird this entire conversation got. I quickly tried to change the subject, despite how much I didn't want to talk about it.

"Ledger, I'm sorry... I should have told you I was fired. I should have told you that I hadn't paid rent in two months. I just... I didn't expect to get kicked out while I was here, but I knew it was coming soon. I guess I just wanted to try to fix things on my own for once... But I still came here for an extra week to try to run away from it..."

My brother sighed. He ran a hand through his hair, shrugging out of his coat which I now realized he was wearing.

"Bird, that's the thing... You don't have to fix it on your own. We want to help you, alright? 'Cause your my little sister, so I wanna help you. It's kind of my job," Ledger chuckled a bit.

I smiled. I wiped away the tears that'd formed.

"Yeah, I know..."

Ledger sighed, pulling me into another hug. He rubbed my back softly, and I caved against him, feeling more tears well in my eyes. God, I was acting so childish before. I don't know what I'd been expecting when I got back, but whatever it was made me feel horrible. It was like I was expecting Ledg to act like Dad whenever I got back. I had to remind myself that Ledger _wasn't_ Dad, and he never would be.

"Sorry, Ledg..." I whispered. "I'm sorry..."

Ledger kissed my hair, sighing softly.

"It's okay, sis... At least now I know to contact that stupid skeleton next time you run off. For some reason contacting him was the last thing on my mind," he laughed a bit.

I pulled away, snickering a bit. I wiped my tears, smiling.

"Y-Yeah, it was a bit unexpected. I didn't plan on going over there."

Ledger smiled. He lightly smacked me on the head.

"Go to bed, idiot. Tomorrow we're going job searching, and I don't want to hear a single arguement about it! You're gonna find a good job out here, a good apartment, and then we're gonna head out to your old apartment and grab your things."

I smiled, sniffling.

"Fine, but only because you asked nicely!" I stated, turning toward the staircase.

I bounded up the stairs, mumbling a quiet, "I love you" as I went. I heard his chuckling behind me, followed by an "I love you too". I smiled, walking into my room. It was easier to sleep knowing I had an older brother who'd always take care of me.

　

The next morning was spent driving aimlessly around town, searching for a decent-enough full-time job. Frankly, it was an aimless search. Ledger had taken the day off just so he could help me search for a job. We'd started off at the mall, then headed to a few random stores like Walmart, Target, or Safeway. Yeah, definitely not planning on being a Walmart employee. Customer service like that really wasn't my thing.

Eventually, Ledger and I found ourselves in that small area where I'd been lost a few days ago, with all the cute little locally owned stores.

"Oh! Ledg!" I suddenly shouted.

Ledger swerved slightly in surprise. His eyes darted toward me.

"What!?"

I grinned sheepishly.

"I had the best coffee from here the other day. We should try to find the guy that was selling it."

He gave me the most deadpanned look. He faced the road again, groaning.

"Seriously? Fine, what am I looking for?" He asked.

I looked out the window, searching for the small cart that was selling coffees the other day. I hummed a bit in thought, not seeing the cat-man where he was last time. That was, until we passed by a cute little cafe, named 'BP's Coffees'. I grinned.

"Hey, that's it!"

Ledger let out a huff, parking in front of the little cafe. I quickly got out of the car, waiting for Ledger to step out. He was definitely a lot less excited than I was, but still had a smile on his face. I grabbed his hand, hurrying into the coffee shop. Sure enough, the familiar cat-monster was standing behind the counter.

Burgerpants raised a brow the moment I stepped inside with my brother. He leaned against the counter lazily.

"Hey, little buddy, you're back?"

I nodded, smiling.

"Yep! You're coffee was pretty much the best I've ever had."

That made the monster light up instantly. He smiled, actually smiled, straightening up. His ears had perked up and it was like he was a completely different person. He'd brightened up the second I'd complimented his drinks, making me believe he didn't get many compliments.

"Well, then, what can I get for you, pal?"

"Small vanilla latte. What about you, Ledg?" I looked up at my brother.

Ledger blinked. He must've been zoning out.

"Oh, right. I'll have the same."

Burgerpants nodded, getting to work on making our coffees. I looked around the cute little place, humming in thought. It was slightly messy. Based on the cat-monster's tired expression, I assumed that he just didn't really have time to clean it much.

"Hey, are you hiring for work?" I blurted.

Ledger's eyes snapped down to me, stunned by my question. It was the first time I'd actually asked instead of him speaking up first. Burgerpants had the same reaction, his head whipping around. He knocked over one of the cups from his movement.

"H-Hiring?" He sputtered. "You want to work _for me_?"

I blinked. The two males were staring at me like I'd just grown an extra head. I fidgeted, suddenly afraid I'd asked the stupidest question.

"Uh... Yeah... You look like you'd need the help..."

Burgerpants stared at me, looking completely dumbfounded, before a wide grin spread across his face. He leaned his elbow on the counter, crossing his legs. He suddenly looked insanely cocky for someone who'd just knocked over an entire cup of freshly made coffee.

"Why yes, yes I am hiring."

His mood had completely switched. Now it was Ledger's turn to sputter. I grinned, instantly lightening up.

"Well, can I have an application? I'd love to work here!"

Burgerpants chuckled awkwardly, his cockiness fading. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, little buddy, that's the problem. I don't...actually...have an application for you to fill out. I've never actually...hired...anyone before."

I smiled.

"Well, how about you interview me instead? I can write all my information down on a piece of paper."

Burgerpants blinked, before nodding. He quickly finished our coffees, remaking the one he'd spilt. He handed them to us.

"On the house. You can call me BP, little buddy, and if you follow me then I'll interview you!"

I grinned, nodding. I looked at Ledger, who still watched dumbly. I patted his cheek playfully.

"I'll be right back, bro."

I followed BP through the back, to an office-like area that was practically filled to the brim with boxes. BP sat down at the old, worn desk. He blew off a layer of dust from the top, blushing sheepishly.

"Haven't used this thing once since I got it a few months ago," he chuckled awkwardly.

I snickered a bit, sitting down in a chair. BP sat in his own chair, folding his arms over the desk. He leaned forward.

"So, name?"

"_____ Castle." I stated, grinning.

BP wrote it down in an old notebook.

"Age?"

"20."

"Place of residence?"

We quickly got into the gist of things. He was actually pretty good at interviews, and asked the basic questions, as if he'd done it a million times before. Still, I could tell he hadn't just based on the embarrassed blush he had on his cheeks. The interview was short, thankfully. I waited in anticipation, despite already knowing the answer I'd most likely get.

"Alright, you're hired, little buddy," BP chuckled.

I grinned widely, fist-pumping the air.

"Yes!"

Burgerpants laughed. He shoved the notebook with my information into a random drawer in the desk, then slammed it closed. A gust of dust came out from the desk, and the cat-monster quickly grabbed my arm, evactuating the dust-filled office quickly.

"I really should clean that out," he snickered as we stepped out.

I laughed. Ledger stood up from where he was sitting at a table. He stared at us.

"Well?"

I grinned, pointing a thumb proudly in my direction. I placed my other hand on my hip, jutting it out proudly.

"Got a job!"

Ledger grinned, giving me a slap on the back.

"See, I knew you could do it, sis!" He said proudly.

BP chuckled, watching in amusement. I laughed, sipping on my untouched, but still warm, coffee. I looked at the cat-monster.

"Thanks, BP," I stated.

He grinned, shooting me a thumbs up.

"I'll shoot you a text with a work schedule as soon as I can!" He stated.

I nodded, heading toward the door with my brother. I waved goodbye.

"Bye!"

Ledger and I headed out, smiles on both our faces. I felt... happy. Like, really happy. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I'd had a job that I was actually happy with. The last few jobs I'd had were jobs I hated, which was probably why I'd gotten fired from them so quickly. This time I wouldn't let this one go. I wouldn't let BP down, and I definitely wouldn't let my brother down again.

"Hey, how about celebratory burgers from Grillby's after we pick up Luke from his last day of school?" Ledger offered as we got into the car.

"Yes!" I grinned.

Ledger laughed. He drove us to the elementary school, where we waited outside for only about five minutes before Lucas came bounding out. He practically leaped into the car.

"CHRISTMAS BREAK!" He shouted happily.

Ledger and I laughed. I turned back to him, flicking his nose lightly.

"Guess where we're going to celebrate?"

Luke blinked. He hummed in thought.

"Grillby's?"

"Right on point," Ledger chuckled, "figured you deserved a burger after a long last day at school."

"Yeah, plus your girlfriend might be there," I teased Luke, snickering as I turned back in my seat.

"Nuh-uh! Fuku is _not_ my girlfriend!"

Ledger cast a glance back at his son, raising a brow. He looked back at the road, a wide smirk spreading across his face.

"What's this about a...gasp... ** _girlfriend_**...?"

I snorted as he said the word 'gasp'. Lukas groaned loudly from the backseat, covering his face as a wide blush spread across his entire face. He pulled up the hood of his coat to hide it.

"You're the worst, Auntie!"

"I know." I snickered.

"You know what, Auntie _____ is dating this one guy!" Luke blurted.

I snorted, turning toward him, brow raised.

"Oh yeah? Who am I dating and why haven't I met my date?" I raised a brow.

Luke sputtered, trying to come up with a name as he tried his hardest to get payback. I could practically see the gears in his head spinning as he thought hard. Finally, it was like a lightbulb had lit in his head, and his eyes twinkled mischeviously.

"Sans."

My eyes widened. Ledger let out a choke sound beside me, his head whipping around in my direction. I waved my hands instantly, shaking my head.

"That is so _not_ true!" I stated, shooting a glare at my nephew.

I didn't even know an eight-year-old could look that cocky. He grinned widely, pointing a finger at me.

"Yes you are! I saw him walk you home last night from my window!" He giggled. "Sans and Auntie, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G~!"

I groaned, putting my hands over my face, regretting ever giving this kid any reason to embarrass me. Why was he doing an amazing job at humiliating me? Ledger started laughing beside me, singing along loudly with his son as we pulled up to Grillby's. I shushed them, waving my hands.

"Shush, before someone hears you idiots!" I laughed, despite my embarrassment.

Ledger snickered, getting unbuckled. He shot me a wink, stepping out of the car. Lucas was giggling from the backseat. I whipped around and shot him a playful glare.

"You're terrible," I stated.

His eyes twinkled, and he grinned widely.

"I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, Luke is probably the cutest little guy I've ever created. He has my heart. And yes, BP is actually a rather important character in my story. It's about time the damn guy got some recognition! Also, I'm slowly becoming aware that I'll probably just slap a chapter down whenever I want to. I probably won't have a set schedule for this because frankly... I suck with schedules. Anywhore, please enjoy!


	8. When At Grillby's

Walking into Grillby's an immediately being greeted by about ten different people was completely unexpected. I blinked, looking around, stopping in my tracks. They were all grinning at me, saying soft 'thank you's', or 'you're the best's'. I smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Heh...yeah..."

I wasn't sure how to respond, definitely not used to all the attention I was recieving. Ledger patted me on the shoulder, grinning. Lucas beamed.

"Wow, they all know you, Auntie!" He said happily.

I laughed softly, ruffling his hair.

"Yeah, guess they do..."

Lucas giggled, before bounding off to a table with his dad. I followed them, smiling. We sat down in the same corner booth that Lucas and I had gone to the first time I came here. I looked out the window beside it, which was the one that had been smashed in. It was replaced, thankfully.

"Hey, welcome back," Grillby's voice greeted us.

I looked up at him. I grinned. I could see a faint grin behind all the orange flames. He pulled out a notepad.

"What can I get for you guys?"

I smiled, ordering a burger. Ledger and Luke ordered the same thing, which I could tell was a relief for Grillby for getting such an easy order. He smiled, putting his notepad away.

"I'll be back with your order."

We watched him wander off, before Luke began speaking, grinning.

"So, what did you do that made everyone recognize you, Auntie?" Luke asked curiously. "Does it have something to do with your bruises from the other day?" His smile faded.

I bit my lip softly, tugging at the very faint cut that still resided on my lip. I wasn't really sure how to answer that question. It was always easier when Luke didn't really question things, but I figured it'd come up eventually. Actually, I'm surprised he held out from asking for this long.

"Uh... Yeah..." I said softly, rubbing my arm.

Lucas stared at me, waiting for an answer. I glanced at Ledge, who looked to be in about the same situation as me. Finally, I let out a soft sigh, thinking of an answer that the second-grader would understand.

"Well, Luke... I um... Well, some people aren't good, okay? They don't like change so they do stupid things to try to prevent it, like try to hurt people. All I did was stop some stupid people from doing something...dumb. I got a little hurt because of it," I tried to explain.

"Is it because of the monsters?" Luke asked.

"No, of course not. It isn't their fault. It's just because some people don't like that their different than us, so they try to make things go back to normal by being dumb. Sometimes people get hurt because of it. Eventually it'll go away and it'll be normal to have monsters around."

I realized that Luke wouldn't understand. For him, it **_was_** normal to have monsters around. He was really young when monsters first came to the surface, so he wouldn't ever know a life where monsters weren't living with us on the surface.

"I don't understand..." Lucas whined with a pout.

Ledger ruffled his hair, chuckling a bit.

"Well, you're eight, so it's a good thing you don't understand. Someday you will, kid, I promise." Ledger stated.

Luke opened his mouth to protest, but quickly shut it as someone slid into the empty spot on the booth beside me. The skeleton grinned widely, shooting a salute toward the kid and my brother.

"hey, pal. didn't expect to _ketchup_ with you guys here," Sans greeted, snatching up the bottle of ketchup on the table.

I looked at him, slightly flustered as I remembered the teasing in the car. Dammit, Luke, I definitely was gonna get payback.

"Sans!" Luke grinned, shooting me a look.

I glared, giving him a slight shake of my head, warning him to stay silent about the situation. Ledger stared at Sans, raising a brow.

"Sans... Yeah, surprised to see you here," he piped up.

Sans shrugged, casually unscrewing the cap to the ketchup. He peered inside.

"saw you guys sittin' around and figured i'd come say hi," he said nonchalantly, apparently not noticing the taunting look from my nephew.

"My auntie sure is happy that you're here!" Luke blurted.

Sans paused. He looked up from the bottle of ketchup, before casting a glance at me, a smirk tugging at his face. He leaned back in the seat, still holding the ketchup. He rested his free arm over the back of the seat.

"is that so?" He teased.

My heart sank. Oh god, don't tell me he picked up on the joke already? There was absolutely _no way_ that this was happening. My cheeks were burning. I literally just met this guy and he's gonna think I'm already trying to get hooked up with him. That was definitely not what was happening!

"Yeah, well, we are _friends_ , right?" I nudged Sans lightly in the ribs.

Sans snickered, nodding.

"well, yeah, you did have pap's friendship spagetti, so i'd hope so."

Thankful that he didn't say anything more about Luke's previous shoutout, I let out a relieved sigh. Sans went back to worrying about the bottle of ketchup. We all watched him curiously. Once he realized there was ketchup in the bottle, he popped the cap back on and brought the nozzle to his mouth. His jaw opened, and I watched in awe as a cyan tongue slithered out from his mouth and he squirted ketchup into his mouth.

"Woah!" Luke stared.

Sans raised a brow bone. He made a swallowing motion, licking the ketchup off his teeth.

"what? ain't you ever seen a skeleton drink ketchup before?" He teased, snickering.

Luke didn't have time to respond, before the ketchup bottle was snatched from Sans' hand. His pinprick pupils darted up to the fire-man standing beside our table, glaring at the skeleton.

"Sans!" He growled.

Sans chuckled awkwardly, staring up at Grillby. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"put it on my tab...?" It was more of a question than a statement.

"Sans, this is why I don't leave ketchup out anymore," Grillby huffed, slapping the bottle back down on the table.

Ketchup squirted from the bottle and onto Sans' face, causing him to flinch a bit in surprise. He wiped it off, huffing. Grillby only smirked in response, before setting our plates of food down in front of us. I looked at the burger, beginning to eat, amused at the scene in front of me.

Sans shrugged, continuing to chug down the condiment. He looked around our table in lazy amusement.

"so, what's the special occasion for visiting grillbz' place?" He questioned.

Ledger looked at the skeleton.

"Well, my sister here just got a job, and today is Luke's last day of school before Christmas break," he explained lazily.

I hummed in agreement, chewing on the amazing burger.

"ah, gotcha," Sans nodded, "where ya workin', kid?"

The skeleton turned to me, eyelights staring at my face. I swallowed, setting the already half-eaten burger back onto my plate. I looked at him.

"Oh, uh, I'm working over in this little coffee shop. It's owned by this guy named Burgerpants, he's pretty great-"

"bp?" Sans' brow raised. He leaned back in his seat, throwing his arm over the back of the seat, making a humming sound, "yeah, i know that guy. used to work at mettaton's resort. he's pretty great, used to whack up a mean steak. and by mean, i mean literally mean, he was terrible at those things."

I laughed a bit, nodding.

"Yeah, well now he's whacking up some mean coffees, and by mean, I mean literally some of the best coffee I've ever had."

Sans hummed in thought, grinning. He took another chug of his ketchup.

"i'll have to take a stop by. sounds like he enjoys what he's doin' now way more than he he did at the resort."

Sans mumbled something else under his breath, which I couldn't sworn was a quiet, "can't blame him". I wondered what this 'Resort' was. The more I thought about it, the more I figured that he was talking about Mettaton's Resort in the Underground, a place where people (only the richest ones) go on vacation and such. Frankly, I'd die to go there, but I definitely wouldn't want to work there.

"Yeah, he seems to be pretty happy." I agreed.

We fell into silence again. Ledger and Luke were chowing down on their burgers, paying us no mind. Finally, Sans stood up, stretching his arms out. I watched in awe as they damn near hit the ceiling due to his height. His spine let out a pleasant 'crack' as he stretched, causing a smirk to twitch at his mouth.

"well, it's been fun, but i outta get back to work. gotta pay the bills, ya know."

Sans winked, before saluting. He walked out the door, but when I looked out the window to spot him leaving, he never came out. I blinked. Did he seriously do his disappearing act again? What the hell?

"He teleports," Ledger mumbled through a mouthful of food.

"Huh?"

I looked at my brother dumbly. He swallowed his food, gesturing out the window.

"The skeleton. He teleports. No one has any clue how he does it."

I stared at him in awe, unsure whether to actually believe him or not. There was no actual way that teleportation was actually a legit thing.

"Yeah, I had the same dumb look on my face when I found out," Ledger smirked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update took so long, and I know it's a short chapter. I'd like to apologize in advance for the slow updates. Anywho, please enjoy some cheesiness with Sans.

**Author's Note:**

> All Undertale characters do NOT belong to me! They belong to Toby Fox. I only claim ownership of my own original characters and the storyline!


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